Sunday Concert Features Two Soloists

On Sunday evening, July 14, the Karl L. King Municipal Band’s concert will feature two outstanding soloists, LuAnn Ewan from Ames, and Robert Shafer from Waterloo. Concert time is 7:30 pm at the Karl L. King Band Shell in Oleson Park. There is no admission charge, courtesy of the City of Fort Dodge. The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Bell Choir will again be selling homemade ice cream and cake, starting about 6:30 pm.

LuAnn Ewan grew up in Storm Lake and has played in the Karl King band on and off since high school. She studied clarinet at Iowa State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. She taught for 11 years as a band director, with 10 of those in Ames. She has been a private music teacher and chamber music coach for over 25 years. In addition to performing with the King Band, she appears with several groups in the Ames area primarily on saxophone, clarinet, flute and piano. In addition to teaching privately, she directs the Central Iowa Clarinet Choir. She will perform the classic clarinet solo, Finale fromLuisa di Montfort by Michal Bergson and arranged by Andrew Glover.

Our second soloist, Bob Shafer, started playing tenor and lead alto for local bands in 1947. He attended Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) where he was one of the original members of the first jazz band in 1951. After graduation he played in the Strategic Air Command Band at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha. He taught instrumental music in the Waterloo schools for 36 years, 19 of which were at West High School. The West High Jazz ensemble was a consistent winner in area contests, finishing in first place at the Iowa Jazz Championships in 1980 & 1981. The West High Jazz band was also invited to the All-American Jazz Band Contest in Mobile, Alabama, placing second in 1972.

During his teaching years, Bob traveled the fair circuit with Keith Killinger’s group, playing lead alto saxophone, and backed such stars as Liberace, Sonny & Cher, Gordon McRae, Ann Murray, Bob Hope, the Mills Brothers, Lennon Sisters and the Lawrence Welk group. Bob has played saxophone and clarinet in the Waterloo Municipal Band, and is also a member of the Iowa Military Veterans Band and a frequent soloist. Mr. Shafer has been inducted into the Iowa Jazz Educators Hall of Fame and the University of Northern Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame. He will perform Eldridge Bunton’s jazz solo, Alto Mood, and also George Gershwin’s popular Someone To Watch Over Me with the King Band accompanying.

The balance of the concert by the King Band will feature a wide variety of music as well. Marches are always popular and this week include The New Corn Palace by Karl L. King, Hostrauser’s March by W. Paris Chambers, Clifton Williams’ tribute to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity with The Sinfonians, and the last march composed by Henry Fillmore, The President’s March. The evening’s classical overture will be Il Guarany, by the Brazilian composer A. Carlo Gomez. There are a wide variety of other selections on the program as well, from Karl King’s waltz, Mystic Night, to a Johan Strauss polka, Thunder and Lightning, to a Karl King rag, Georgia Girl, and a Karl King galop, Majestic.

Conductor of the Municipal Band is Jerrold P. Jimmerson, and the Assistant Conductor is Dr. David Klee. Conductor Jimmerson states, “We have something for everyone’s enjoyment on this concert. Bring your lawn chairs, sit back, listenand have fun!”